This invention relates generally to headrests for motor vehicle seats, and relates more specifically to a headrest that is retractable into a headliner of the vehicle.
Many motor vehicles, particularly sport utility vehicles and minivans, are equipped with rear seats that can be moved from a seating configuration, in which passengers can sit in the seat, to a so-called xe2x80x9cload floorxe2x80x9d configuration where the back support of the seat is folded downwardly to assume a horizontal orientation and thereby facilitate cargo stowage. Typically, locking mechanisms are provided for holding the seat in the seating configuration, and the locking mechanisms can be released to permit moving the seat to the load floor configuration.
Various arrangements have been proposed for retracting a headrest of the seat in order to provide the seat with a more compact profile when folded. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,940 shows several embodiments of a seat having an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of a headrest according to the pivoting of a seatback relative to a seat cushion.
The present invention is a headrest assembly for a motor vehicle. The headrest assembly comprises a headrest pivotable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the headrest is generally proximate a seatback of the motor vehicle. In the second position, the headrest is generally proximate a headliner of the motor vehicle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly of the type described above in which the headrest is separated from a seatback.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the type described above that allows the seatback to be more easily stowed inside or outside of the vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the type described above that may be operated either manually or automatically.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the type described above which is easy to use and cost-effective.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.